Canadian man who found faults of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation dies at age 83
{{date|April 3, 2007}}
{{Canadian news}}

[[w:Bob Edmonds|Robert 'Bob' Edmonds]], who sued the [[w:Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation|Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation]] (OLG), died Monday in hospital at age 83 of cancer.

"He'll be remembered as the guy who just wouldn't go away," said Ontario Ombudsman [[w:André Marin|André Marin]] speaking of the loss. "I was the speakerphone and he was the speaker – I merely amplified what he had to say. He deserves the credit for the entire thing."

Edmonds of [[w:Coboconk, Ontario|Coboconk, Ontario]] first came to fight the OLG in 2001 when he was "robbed" of his lottery winning of CAN$250,000 by a store clerk. He asked the store clerk's wife Phyllis LaPlante to check the tickets and she said he did not win but won a free ticket (when someone wins a lottery prize in Canada a small sound goes off in the store). Days after, the couple who owned the store were in the local newspaper saying they had won the jackpot of $250,000. When he contacted the OLG they denied the allegations, and when the couple were arrested for fraud they refused to return his winnings. He sued the LaPlantes for the winnings and settled for $150,000.

In 2002, Edmonds sued the corporation and signed a confidentiality agreement on behalf of the OLG after a judge asked them to rightfully give him the money he won. They gave him $200,000 three years later. Last Friday they gave him $50,000 dollars more, for a total of $250,000.

In October 2006, [[w:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC's]] ''[[w:The Fifth Estate|The Fifth Estate]]'' showed that more retailers from 1999 to 2006 were winning instead of the customers. After the broadcast OLG's former CEO called him and personally apologised and the company started to create more security measures for customers.

Following the allegations, 1,000,000 scratch tickets were recalled and on March 23, 2007 CEO Duncan Brown announced he resigned his position. Days later Ontario Ombudsman André Marin sparked up an investingation into the OLG however it is still ongoing.

Edmonds leaves his wife, daughter, and two sons.

==Related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=Ontario ombudsman hands over lottery investigation to police|date=March 27, 2007}}
*{{Wikinews|title=Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation CEO resigns|date=March 24, 2007}}
*{{Wikinews|title=Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation instant scratch tickets under scrutiny|date=November 23, 2006}}

==Sources==
{{wikipediapars|[[w:Bob Edmonds|Robert "Bob" Edmonds]] and [[w:Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation|Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation]]}}
*{{source|url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/198855
|title=Lottery warrior dies vindicated
|author=Isabel Teotonio
|pub=Toronto Star
|date=April 3, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.fftimes.com/index.php/3/2007-04-03/30222
|title=Man who exposed lottery scandal dies
|author=Canadian Press
|pub=Fort Frances Times
|date=April 3, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1175574070299&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662670
|title=Lottery crusader dies
|author=Canadian Press
|pub=Hamilton Spectator
|date=April 3, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/04/02/edmonds-obit.html
|title=Man who sparked probe of Ontario lottery agency dies
|author=
|pub=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
|date=April 2, 2007}}

{{archive}}
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[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Ontario]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Lotteries]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Culture and entertainment]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
Robert 'Bob' Edmonds, who sued the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), died Monday in hospital at age 83 of cancer.

"He'll be remembered as the guy who just wouldn't go away," said Ontario Ombudsman André Marin speaking of the loss. "I was the speakerphone and he was the speaker – I merely amplified what he had to say. He deserves the credit for the entire thing."

Edmonds of Coboconk, Ontario first came to fight the OLG in 2001 when he was "robbed" of his lottery winning of CAN$250,000 by a store clerk. He asked the store clerk's wife Phyllis LaPlante to check the tickets and she said he did not win but won a free ticket (when someone wins a lottery prize in Canada a small sound goes off in the store). Days after, the couple who owned the store were in the local newspaper saying they had won the jackpot of $250,000. When he contacted the OLG they denied the allegations, and when the couple were arrested for fraud they refused to return his winnings. He sued the LaPlantes for the winnings and settled for $150,000.

In 2002, Edmonds sued the corporation and signed a confidentiality agreement on behalf of the OLG after a judge asked them to rightfully give him the money he won. They gave him $200,000 three years later. Last Friday they gave him $50,000 dollars more, for a total of $250,000.

In October 2006, CBC's The Fifth Estate showed that more retailers from 1999 to 2006 were winning instead of the customers. After the broadcast OLG's former CEO called him and personally apologised and the company started to create more security measures for customers.

Following the allegations, 1,000,000 scratch tickets were recalled and on March 23, 2007 CEO Duncan Brown announced he resigned his position. Days later Ontario Ombudsman André Marin sparked up an investingation into the OLG however it is still ongoing.

Edmonds leaves his wife, daughter, and two sons.
Canada Ontario North America Games Lotteries Economy and business Culture and entertainment Crime and law